1. Field of the Invention
This invention is concerned with improvements relating to coke-oven plants, in particular to the trapping and evacuating hot, dust-laden fumes occurring in coke plants, particularly those which are emitted during the pressing of coke from a coke-oven, and which subsequently arise from the coke quenching truck during transportation of the coke to the quenching tower.
2. Description of Prior Art
A variety of installations designed to deal with emissions of the kind set out above, which still constitute a major problem in coke-works, and to reduce environmental pollution, have been suggested. With a view to achieving a comprehensive evacuation by suction of the fumes, known arrangements provide for the roof of the plant which starts at the top edge of the oven roofs, to be extended downwardly on the side of the quenching truck to a point just above the floor, on which are mounted the truck rails, thereby creating a virtually fully enclosed shop-area from which the fumes are evacuated by an extractor duct. However, a comparatively high suction capacity is required to ensure that the emissions are quickly eliminated from the shop area. During the intervals between individual pressing operations the extractor fan capacity cannot be utilised economically because at this stage only the low-temperature producer gases emerging from the oven doors have to be drawn off. On the other hand, unless the suction capacity is sufficient to ensure that the emissions of one pressing operation will have been extracted by the time the next pressing operation is commenced, the emissions remaining in the shop area will constitute a permanent source of danger to the men working in this area, particularly also for the reason that as the gases cool down the heavier gases sink to the shop floor. Special extractor ducts must be provided on the floor to deal with these latter gases.
In addition, this type of a virtually fully enclosed work shop area also involves considerable static construction problems.
To overcome these problems, it has become customary to equip the quenching truck with a hood to trap the emissions and to conduct them toward fume extractors, the latter also being truck-mounted. This however involves expensive structural provisions and installations whilst frequently the desired result remains unachieved because the hood cannot always be made of adequate dimensions despite generously provided suction capacities. This means that the men working on the coke side of the coke-oven plant are still exposed to the emissions, and the latter still pollute the environment.